Protect your children’s hearing this Bonfire Night

Protect your children’s hearing this Bonfire Night

National charity Action on Hearing Loss is urging parents to protect their children’s hearing over the Bonfire Night festivities.

Children across the UK will be coming out in full force to watch the firework displays on 5 November, but many parents do not realise that exposing a child to booming firecrackers and whistling Catherine wheels could be putting their hearing at risk of permanent damage.

Any sound over 85db is viewed as harmful to your hearing and a firework display averages around 120dB, which is the equivalent of a jet taking off.

However, there is no reason to stop them from enjoying the spectacle, so Action on Hearing Loss has offered some top tips to protect children from the cacophony of fireworks.

The charity recommends that when attending the celebrations, children should wear noise-reducing ear defenders; keep 50 to 60 metres away from all sources of loud noise; and limit the duration of exposure to loud noises, as the louder the noise the less time it takes to damage hearing permanently.

Audiologist at Action on Hearing Loss, Vaitheki Maheswaran, said: “Take steps to protect your hearing at loud events by wearing ear plugs.

“We also encourage protecting your children’s hearing as it’s difficult to say when a small child's hearing is at risk. Their tiny ears can be more sensitive than adult ears to certain high-pitched sounds. The best way to protect your child’s hearing is by using ear defenders that are specially designed for children.”

Exposure to loud sounds can cause noise-induced hearing loss or tinnitus.
Tinnitus is often described as a ‘ringing in your ears’ but some people might also hear buzzing, whistling or whooshing. Although there is no cure for it, there is support available to help people manage it.